Is there more variety in yarn than there used to be?

Dear users, dear authors,
There didn't used to be Bobbel yarn cakes, gradient yarn, fancy yarn, etc., did there? Were the skeins mostly solid-colored back then? What kind of yarn was common?

I’m not sure about Bobbel, gradient yarn, or fringed yarn, but there was definitely more variety than just solid colors. My aunt had a wool stand at the market, so we always had plenty of wool at home when she needed space for new items—that was always great.
Back then (in the ’60s and ’70s), tweed yarn was already around; Lurex was in style for quite a while, and there was also bouclé, angora, and other similarly fluffy yarns.
We usually knitted winter jackets and sweaters from acrylic yarn—it was soft, cozy, and fully machine-washable (which our moms really liked).

Ombré yarn has been around for a very long time, but it took me a while to discover it for myself. A lot has changed since then, though—and not just because of fashion trends. The denim effect didn’t exist back then; there were quite a few things that weren’t available.

Viscose has always been around, but the manufacturing process has changed significantly. Acrylic has also gained some new material properties. I think the fibers have become softer. And you can find everything online these days—there’s even wool that glows in the dark.

“Which moms really liked”—is that a catchphrase? Sounds like an ad from the ’70s 😁

What do you mean by “back then”? I was able to get specialty yarns—like fringed yarn or glitter yarn—as early as about 30 years ago. But back then, you were limited to whatever the local yarn shop had in stock. But since you can order online, the selection has grown enormously. Blended yarns, in particular, are available in a wide variety of qualities. Above all, the yarns have become easier to care for and more comfortable to wear. All of this applies to fabrics as well, by the way.