Here are all the yarns that I recommend you knit on 8mm (and below) needles! These yarns tend to be a ratio of 1:1, 1 gram of weight to 1 meter of length. I loooooove these yarns and am always looking for new yarns.
Wool and the Gang - Feeling Good Yarn
When knitting with 8mm needles, I always hold this one double to give it more weight (since it's typically considered an aran weight). Very very soft, kinda pricey. I adore the colors that it comes in. It does shed quite a bit but there's no other yarn that's as soft. I love using this yarn when I want clear stitch definition and I want the texture of the knit stitches to stand out more. You can find it here.
Wool and the Gang - Alpachino Merino
Very soft, comes in gorgeous colors. I always have some of this yarn on hand so i can knit up ideas I might have late at night IMMEDIATELY
Wears really well with some pilling. However, the twist of the yarn does obscure stitches just slightly. So if you're working with a stitch that is more subtle, I'd try a single ply yarn. You can find it here.
Wool and the Gang - Take Care Mohair
Drops - Wish
Very soft, similar to feeilng good yarn (a blown chain yarn), but not quite as soft. The great thing about this one is that it's an actual bulky weight yarn and can be knit held single. Doesn't shed as much but it's not sold in the USA. But you can get it pretty cheap off of Etsy (and with free shipping). You can find it here.
Drops - Andes
Wears really well since it's plied. Is definitely not as soft as Alpachino Merino, but a little blocking with conditioner can help with the scratchiness. Same problem as Wish since it's not sold in the USA, but the same seller on Etsy sells and ships it super quickly. You can find it here.
Sandnes Garn - Kos
The prettiest colors! Similar to Feeling Good Yarn and Drops Wish. I usually hold it double since it's a lighter aran weight yarn. Some of the prettiest colors, I always go for their pastels since their heathered colors aren't to my taste.
Even though shipping costs $20 to the USA, VAT refund makes the price of this one pretty affordable. Buy it from Finland.
Or there's also a distributor in the USA. Buy it from New Jersey.
Knit Picks - Wonderfluff
Softer than Kos and Air, not quite as soft as Feeling Good Yarn. But it is available in the USA and comes in some fun colors (I adore the Cosmopolitan colorway). I hold it double and it's pretty well priced. Knit Picks affiliate link.
Hip Knit Shop - Fluff Yarn
My go to chunky mohair. Absolutely adore the colors it comes in. Shipping from Norway is intimidating, but it comes so so quickly and it's so worth all the colors you can get. Not quite as soft as Take Care Mohair, but for this price, it's so worth it. You can find it here.
Lion Brand Yarn - Hue and Me
Slightly chunkier. You can find this yarn in any Michael's or Joann's. It's pretty soft and super affordable. Comes in a more muted palette. I'd recommend blocking it after knitting it to help loosen up the texture of the fabric. You can find it here.
Malabrigo Yarn - Chunky
Stunning colors, and very soft. The only downside is I always procrastinate winding the hanks into balls. Kettle-dyed yarn gives it more color inconsistency which is an intentional decision you have to make. I tend to save this yarn when I want a hardy, full-bodied knit. You can find it here.
Qing Fibre - Melted Baby Suri
I adore the colors of hand dyed yarn, but sometimes it's hard to work with. I find that using a fluffy yarn, held double like this, makes things easier. I definitely gravitate towards more pastel colorways. A more luxurious knit for sure, but I love to treat myself to it every so often. This base from Qing Fibre is thicker than your typical mohair and I find that it sheds far far less than normal mohair while still giving a fluffy look. I mean look, they sell out of this base so so quickly; you have to set your phone to remind you when Qing Fibre releases new drops. Use my affiliate link to get 5% off your order!
Qing Fibre - Big Merino Chunky
Very pricey, but gives stunning knits. It can be ruinously expensive getting a sweaters quantity, but not many hand dyed yarns have enough stock of bulky weight hand dyed yarn to even order a sweater's quantity. Use my affiliate link to get 5% off your order!