I made these for Christmas as well.  They took a while to get the hang of the pattern, but once you've got it it's easy peasy.  The key is to realize that you are really working 2 separate yarns and stitches...not trying to work 2 separate yarns into the same stitch.  I just used some cotton I had on hand.  The contrast is lovely (and needed in this pattern).  My first attempt was a beige with dark beige.  It was impossible to keep track of what I was doing.

Spiral Dishcloth

Around and Around We Go!