If you can, make up a sample from scraps to experiment with ties. The needle you use will depend largely on what you decide to use for the tie -- embroidery floss, yarn, crochet cotton, etc. Be aware that choosing something like yarn can mean you need to use a needle with a very large eye which, in turn, can be very difficult to work through the layers.
Betweens are probably neither long enough or strong enough for most ties. Usually you want a fairly long needle to tie.
Also be sure to check out tying techniques on the internet. When I started, I thought you would put a tie in, cut the thread, then tie the knot. However, there are ways of doing it so that you tie knots continuously and cut the thread only after a whole section of knots has already been tied. You also need to understand how to tie so the knots don't come out.
A practice swatch is good because you can make sure that your choices are going to work efficiently for you.