There are no dumb questions, we all had to learn.
Break it down to one thing at a time. If you scroll down to the bottom of this link there is a video for mattress stitch. Start with that..
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-tips
Don't worry about the picking up stitches yet. Sometimes things make more sense when you see them after working a different part. If not, then ask when you get there.
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