I love to hand quilt. Everyone here was really pushing the betweens, and I tried them. They did not work for me.
Finally found that 7's work well for me. I can get the thread through the eye, and they are long enough to take a few stitches at a time. I know that the ones I use are larger than most people use, but they work for me.
Just keep trying different ones, until you find something that works well for you.