What I've been doing lately, and have had good luck with it, is to fill the washer with cool water and a bit of wool wash on delicate. I let it agitate to get the soap blended, but NEVER let the wool items agitate, not even for a moment.
Then I put the woolies in and let them soak for a while, then let the machine spin them out, refill to rinse and turn the knob to skip the agitation. Let them sit for a bit and spin out.
I haven't lost anything yet by letting them spin out in the washer, but I can't guarantee that it will work for everything.
I do find, however, that I'm more likely to 'hand wash' when I can do it in the machine. The items dry faster after I lay them out. (NO dryer)
"Trust the pattern!"
Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.
Hop aboard while we follow the cloud-covered van of knitting harmony, man!! Woooo!! --Hedgehog
IngridKH on Ravelry