Ors--

I may be wrong, but it seems from your description that you left the circuit open in the wrong place. You should have attached the negative cable to the negative terminal on your (dead) battery, then grounded the other end to the boosting (live) car, in the manner of your choosing.

The connection sequence I ALWAYS use when jumping a car is this:

1 - Live/boosting positive (usually, with engine running)
2 - dead positive
3 - dead negative
4 - live ground (either to the battery, or another appropriate ground on the running engine)

You initially reversed #3 & #4, which left no way for a circuit to be completed with your dead battery...until you connected the negative cable to it, as well.

I've made the same mistake in the past...until I finally learned to do it "by the numbers".

Also, a good heavy-gauge set of jumper cables should be in every vehicle you own. I use mine to help out others more often than not, but nothing else will do when you need them!

Glad you got up & running.

David