To Tripoli and Back

Julie writes...

For over twenty years, Zentangle, Inc. has grown and evolved beyond our wildest dreams. As we climb aboard the Zentangle Time Machine this year, we’re delighted to look back not only at the big, shining milestones but also at the many small moments that quietly carried us to where we are today.

When we reflect on the decisions made and paths taken as a company, we often discover that inspiration arrived from unexpected places or that we were laying the foundation for something long before we realized it.

With that spirit in mind, we gathered to consider what the 2026 Tangle of the Year should be. It’s never an easy choice ...how can we possibly choose just one? But as we began to imagine what the coming year might hold, one tangle kept stepping forward: tripoli.

Originally released in 2011, tripoli quickly became a “mac and cheese” tangle... comforting, familiar, and endlessly satisfying. Over the years, it also became the spark for so much more.

The magic of tripoli lies in its ability to create a grid-like structure that can be filled with any tangle or pattern, often revealing beautiful and fascinating meta-patterns along the way. This idea would later be formalized in Zentangle Primer Vol. 1 as Reticula and Fragments, offering a whole new way to approach tangling.

You can dive even deeper into the world of Reticula and Fragments in Zentangle Project Pack No. 27.

But tripoli didn’t stop there. This humble tangle also became the driving inspiration behind our 3Z tile. The Zentangle 3Z Tile is a 3.5" × 3.5" × 3.5" equilateral triangle, die-cut with a deckle edge and rounded corners, much like our other tiles. 3Z tiles fit elegantly together - and alongside our 3.5" square tiles - opening the door to extraordinary mosaic possibilities.

Zentangle Project Pack No. 17 and 2024 Bijou Be Well are both wonderful resources for exploring tangles on 3Z tiles.

Who knew a simple little triangle could create so much beauty?

Thank you to everyone who commented on our recent blog about your own Renaissance - the stories were beautiful to read. And congratulations to our "Zentangle surprise" winner - Mary Kay Cass! Please email your snail mail address to info@zentangle.com.