I've tied quilts with regular acrylic yarn. If you use one that is too shiny and slippery, though, they tend to come untied.
I think basically any needle with a big enough eye to take the yarn and a sharp point to go through the fabric layers will work. I've seen some curved needles in the quilting section of Joann Fabric that are just for tying. I think the curve would make it a lot easier.